In a close fight with numerous rivals, the American Scottie Scheffler took over the lead at the Augusta Masters after the third round on Saturday, in which Tiger Woods He signed his worst performance in this emblematic tournament. Woods collapsed at the Augusta National Golf Club (Georgia), the scene of some of the greatest feats of his career, until he scored a card of 82 strokes (10 over par) that dropped him to 52nd place.
While the public encouraged and applauded their great idol, a large group of golfers took turns leading the first Grand Slam of the season. Scheffler was the one who prevailed in the fight and will start the decisive day on Sunday as the sole leader with a total of 209 strokes (-7), a minimum distance from the Americans as well. Collin Morikawa (-6) and Max Homa (-5).
The Swede Ludvig Aberg (-4) and the American Bryson DeChambeau (-3) will also try to get involved in the battle for the trophy, which this year comes with a record check of 3.6 million dollars. Number one in the world ranking, Scheffler had started the round tied in the lead with Homa and DeChambeau and finished alone at the top thanks to a final birdie on the 18th hole much celebrated by the fans.
The American, champion at Augusta in 2022, aspires to join Tiger Woods as the golfers who have donned the green jacket twice when they held the world number one. On Saturday, the devilish wind that wreaked havoc on the first two days gave a respite and made it easy for numerous golfers to go below par and for the applicants to alternate at the top. In addition to the leading trio, the Dane Nicolai Hojgaard also briefly took the lead, whose vertigo led him to commit five bogeys in a row that dashed his dream of being the first debutant to win the title in 45 years.
The sinking of Woods
Tiger Woods.
Photo:
In parallel to this fight, the Augusta public attended this Saturday the collapse of Tiger Woods in a tournament that he has won five times in his career. The greatest golfer of the century, who continues to compete at 48 years old despite his serious physical limitations, had managed to set a new record for the event on Friday by making the cut for the 24th consecutive edition.
But one day after the feat, his dream of breaking Jack Nicklaus' record of six crowns turned into a nightmare when he finished the course in 82 strokes (+10) for a total of 227 (+11). Woods committed a total of eight bogeys and another two consecutive double bogeys that, along with two birdies, led to his worst result of the 99 rounds he has played in the Masters. It is also just the third time Tiger has finished with at least 80 shots in a Grand Slam.
“I wasn't hitting very well or pocketing well,” Woods explained. “I didn't have a very good warm-up session and I kept it up all day. I just hit the ball in all the places I know I shouldn't hit it.”
Once the ordeal was over, Woods received a huge ovation on the 18th hole from the fans, who stood up to recognize the golfer who marveled at this course for years. At Augusta, Tiger won the first of his 15 Grand Slam titles in 1997 and the last in 2019, when he capped one of the greatest resurrections in American sport by overcoming multiple back surgeries.
Rahm's drought
Even with Tiger's debacle, the great disappointment of the Masters continues to be the reigning champion, Jon Rahm. The Spaniard, who struggled to survive the cut on Friday, could not make up positions and concluded his third round in 72 strokes (even), with a birdie and a bogey, for a cumulative score of 221 (+5), which left him in the 28th place. Rahm, who shook the golf world in December by leaving the PGA for the Saudi LIV Golf circuit, has not lifted a trophy since last year's Masters, the longest drought of his professional career.
Amo
ng the two Latin American representatives still in action, the Chilean Joaquín Niemann was in 21st place with 219 strokes (+3) and the Colombian Camilo Villegas in 47th with 225 (+9).
AFP
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